SPRINGFIELD ISN'TFOR EVERYONE—AND THAT’S OKAY.

BUT IF IT IS; YOU’LL KNOW.

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BY SPRINGFIELDWITH SPRINGFIELDFOR SPRINGFIELD

This is a rallying cry for those who live in Springfield—for those of us who have never left, and for those of us who have lived other places but choose Springfield. For those of us who are young and for those of us who are young but yet have lines deepening on our faces and betraying that notion. For those of us that deny that Springfield is just Springfield. Deny that Springfield is the place that you settle down and give up on the outlandish ideas that your heart try to sneak by your head.

This is for those of us that choose Springfield. (credit)

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PRINCIPLES OF FLAG DESIGN

Keep it simple

Use meaningful symbolism

Use 2–3 basic colors

No lettering or seals

Be distinctive

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THE PITCH

I didn't set about to create a flag concept that merely looked good—that would have meant stopping much too soon.

From the beginning, I aimed to create a flag that the citizens of Springfield could rally their energy behind, something they could be proud of. A flag that contained the elements necessary to spread the essence of Springfield far beyond the top of a flagpole.

It's clear that the citizens of Springfield want to take ownership of their city, and so I set forth to do that in a number of ways:

“BEAUTY OF STYLE AND HARMONY AND GRACE AND GOOD RHYTHM DEPEND ON SIMPLICITY.”

Crossroads / X Marks the SpotAs a place of cultural, geographical, and historical crossroads; Springfield deserves to make a statement. Using crossroads, this flag concept boldly marks the spot—igniting from the city center, the heart of the Ozarks, and birthplace of the Main Street of America. We don't just choose Springfield, we claim her with pride.

The Queen CityThe Queen City moniker is not something to dodge. The element is visceral, memorable, and a visual aid not every city has the fortune to borrow. Beyond inception on the flag, the diadem can move through the city on clothing, buildings, stickers, body markings, and far beyond. It's powerful, it's bold; it's Springfield.

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EXPLORATION

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ABOUT THIS

Springfield is experiencing an exciting period of revitalization in its city core, and a proud process of rediscovering its history and identity. Our city deserves an iconic symbol to represent this identity, and our existing flag falls very short of this.

The current flag was the result of a design competition of high school students 1938, and does not reflect our unique history. The symbolism of the elements of this flag could easily represent any city in the US. It also displays the name of the entity it is trying to symbolize, which means the symbolism fails. It is our goal to have a new official city flag adopted, however this is not a city initiative. This is a ground-up movement from engaged locals.